Is Appearing on a Reality Show Bad For Your Mental Health?

On Tuesday, the sad news arrived that Russell Armstrong, whose wife, Taylor, stars in the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, had committed suicide. His lawyer has since insinuated that the stress of appearing on a reality show contributed to his mental decline. So who's to blame?

According to Armstrong's lawyer, Ronald Richards, being on the Housewives was too much pressure for Armstrong to handle. "He lost his marriage, he lost his wife, and he was constantly ridiculed by other housewives and by people that would make comments about the show. Stuff that would never have come up was exposed," Richards told TheWrap.

Reality shows are notorious for casting people who are more, well, out there than the rest of us. Drama queens (and kings) make for good TV. But there's a line between dramatic and mentally ill. So who's the responsible party here?

Should Bravo take the fall for casting someone who might be a danger to himself? Or was Armstrong a victim of his own hunger for fame?